Tuft tube for tube frames



July 12, 1927.

E, F. HATHAWAY TUFT TUBE FOR TUBE FRAMES Filed Feb. 27; 1926 BY w. /1 4110mm Patented July 12, 1927.

1 UNITED s'rATEs PATENT .oF l ca' EDGAR F. HATHAWAY, or wELLnsLEY, MASSACHUSETTS, AssIeNonTo 'SHAWMUT.

ENGINEERING COMPANY, OFI BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION OF MAS- sAcH sET s.

TUr UBE Eon TUBE FRAMES.

1 Application filed February 27, 1926. Serial No. 91,239. I

somewhat flattened in cross-section, with the 1 longitudinal. edges of the metal blank in juxta-position; As thedimensional requirements'are such as to necessitate the use of thin metal in. thiscconstruction 'ithas been found, in'practice,;that such tubes'have been subject to spreading or opening under the internal stress or pressure of the yarn tufts .or of the threading needle which draws the appropriate yarn tufts. through the individual tubes. 1 J

To remedy these defects, which have'long been a source of complaint, I have provided a construction of-t-uft tube-which, at the same time, presents no construction that is likely to catch against the warp threads between which the tufttubes are inserted when 7 supplying the tuft yarn to the fabric, and still provides an effectivev resistance to the objectionable opening ofthe'se tubes under internal pressure. f

With these objects in. view the invention comprises essentially a tuft tube formed out of an "appropriate sheet metal blank and bentlongitudinally into the form of an elongated tube of approximately ovoid cross section, the two longitudinaledges of the metal being sooverlapped and interlocked or engaged with each other as to afford a positive resistance to spreading action exerted internally againstthe walls of the tube. This and other features of the invention will be explained in the following specification and will be defined in the claims hereto annexed. In the accompanying drawings are illus trated several forms embodying the principles of this invention, in which:

7 Figure 1 is a front elevation of a tube frame carrying a row of tuft tubes, the middle portion being broken away. V

. Figure 2 's an enlarged d tall view lookshow the interlocking edges.

Figures 3 and 4: are detail views showing,

respectively, a front view and an end edge 7 ing toward oneend of a single tuft-tube to view of a blank for the manufacture of a modified form of tuft-tube. o

lgures 5 and 6 are, respectively, rear ele-' vations and side elevations of the tuft-tube.

formed from the blank shown in Figures 3 and 4.

Figure 7 is an end view lied form of tuft-tube.

Figure 8 is an end view showing a modified construction for interlocking the overlapping edges of a tuft-tube.

The tube-frame to which are here shown applied is of a well-known type embracing a carrier-bar 1, spool-supporting and suspension brackets 52, and a yarn-spool 3.

To the front ofthe carrier-bar 1, is-atof the same moditach'ed, in any suitable manner, a tube-holdthe tuft-tubes ing member 5, of well known construction,

embracing a longitudinal angle plate whose forwardly projecting member 5 is slotted for the'insertion of the individual tuft-tubes which are then soldered or otherwise secured to the angle plate 5; v

The construction of the tuft-tubes 6, shown in Figure 1, is more clearly illustrated by the end view in Figure 2 from which it will be seen that a thin sheet metal blank of suitable form is bent or formedintoan elongated somewhat flattened tube whose lower or free end is reduced or tapered to leave interstitial spaces for the reception of the individual warp threads in the loom. The reduced or loweren'd portions of all these tuft-tubes are approximately ovoid form in cross section, that is, instead of being elliptical or oval, usually the front, but sometimes the back, comes to more of apoint than does the opposite narrow wall of the tuft tube. [Preferably the joint'betwee'n the two longitudinal edges is formed at the back In'thesimplest form the jointis formed,v I

as shown in Figure 2, by lapping one longitudinal. edge portion of the blank over or beyond the other, such longitudinal edge portions being of externally convex shape transversely to form a hook-like or interlocking engagement one with the other. These hook-like or interlocking edge portions are shown at 6, 6", in Figure This convex form of the overlapped edge por" tions of the tube need not extend to the e11- larged inlet end of the tube at 6. This portion or head 6 of the tube is preferably made flat to provide a flat bearing surlface to rest against the TFLICG oi. the attaching strip or member 5, and does not require interlocking engagement as it is not so much subjected to spreading strains as it is of larger cross area than the lower ends of the tubes and as the heads mutually reen'lm'ee each other, besides being confined in the receiving slots of the attaching or backing strip, This form of interlocking engagement between the two overlapped edges or the tutt-tube is sufficient to resist all expanding or spreading strains to which the tube is subjected in ordinary usage.

Another form of interlocking joint tufttube is illustrated in Figures 3 to T inclusive. In this case the blank T. oi appropriate form, is provided near the edge portion that is to lie outside of the other edge portion with a slot or perforation 7, and directly across the blank near the opposite edge a small tongue 7 is struck up from the body of the metal, said tongue being dimensioned to be inserted in the slot '7. When the tube is formed from the blank the edge portion, containing the slot 7", is folded outside of the opposite edge portion, the tongue 7" being inserted in the slot when the edges are overlapped in the described manner, and then being pressed down fiat to form a reversely bent hook, as best shown in Figures 5 and 7.

Figure 8 shows an end view of a further modification in which the blank 8 has been formed along its longitudinal edges with two very narrow reversely folded hook portions'S and 8*. For final forming operation these are pressed into engaging relationship so that, like the other forms described, the interlocking engagement resists the spreading strains of the yarn in service.

What I claim is:

1. A tuft tube for a tube-frame comprise ing a sheet metal blank of appropriate term bent longitudinally to form a partially iIattened tube with the two longitudinal edges overlapped and interlockingly engaged to resist the opening of the tube under internal pressure.

2. A tuft tube formed oi a single piece oi? sheet metal into an elongated tube open at both ends, a portion of one longitudinal edge of the metal being lapped beyond the other and forming a hook-like engagement therewith to resist spreading the tube under in ternal pressure.

3. A tuft tube for a tube-fraine comprising a sheet metal blank bent longitudinally to "form a tapered tube of approximately ovoid cross section, the longitudinal portions being lapped one over the other, the lapped portions being convexly curved in a transverse direction to form practically nonexpansible engagement under internal stresses of service.

4. A tuft-tube for tube frames comprising a sheet metal blank formed into a flat-- tened tube and having each of its longitudinal edge portions transversely bowed out-- wardly to form concavo-convex mutually over-lapping interlocking engagement with each other, thereby preventing the spread ing apart of the side walls under the pres sure of the interior tuft of yarn.

In witness whereof, I have subscribed the above specification.

EDGAR F. HATHAWAY. 

